Denial. Anger. Acceptance?
“Dallas” fans are nothing if not loyal.
The TNT drama’s midseason premiere drew 1.97 million viewers on August 18, essentially matching its audience from the winter and spring, when the series averaged 1.99 million viewers on Mondays nights. The episode, “Denial, Anger, Acceptance,” was seen by approximately 567,000 viewers between ages 18 and 49, a group advertisers pay top dollar to reach.
TNT hasn’t announced if “Dallas” will return next year or a timetable for making a decision. The conventional wisdom is the network will wait to see how the show performs during its late summer run before deciding whether to renew it. Expected to factor into TNT’s decision: “Dallas’s” performance among DVR users, who boosted the show’s average to about 2.8 million viewers during the winter and spring.
“Dallas’s” August 18 numbers are smaller than most of the other series in TNT’s summer lineup. Last week, cop show “Major Crimes” concluded a 10-week Monday run with an average of about 5 million viewers, while its companion series, freshman legal drama “Murder in the First,” averaged a little less than 3 million viewers.
At the other end of TNT’s spectrum: another legal series, “Franklin & Bash,” which opened its fourth season last week with 1.25 million viewers.
“Dallas’s” August 18 competition included ESPN’s preseason football game between Washington’s team and the Cleveland Browns, which drew almost 6.9 million viewers. Next week, “Dallas” will face off against the Primetime Emmys broadcast on NBC.
What do you think of “Dallas’s” latest ratings? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.
Dallas Decoder 
I’m hoping that if a show has to go, it will be Franklin and Bash. DALLAS has a brand that Franklin and Bash couldn’t dream of, and it appears that Dallas is out performing it in the ratings. No doubt the live+3 numbers for Dallas will climb to just under 3 million, which is super steady. I will say that 1.97 was a little disappointing being that we’re now in the summer, but I think at this point the numbers we see now are what can be expected.
Chris: After live+3 being at about 3 million, isn’t that a decent number for cable? Also, we’re you encouraged by 1.97 or not?
It was great. Don’t know much about ratings, but 1.97 sounds good to me. The show will return, I am sure.
The Emmys are boring. Dallas is much better. It is a great show! And why worry about 18 year olds? They are never at home to watch TV. Your older audience ought to count for something.
I am sure it would get higher ratings on any other night. Why run it against football and the WWE? Dallas is an awesome show! !
I just hope the TNT brass has a heart and decides to bring back Dallas for a fourth season. Last night’s episode was very interesting and I can’t wait for next week’s episode. The ratings from last night disappointed me. I thought with all the hype of Dallas returning in the summer that the ratings would improve. Let’s just hope the ratings for the next 6 episodes becomes better.
I am enjoying the new Dallas as much as I did the original shows. I’m so glad it’s back.
WE love it!!!! We cannot wait each week til it is on!!! I been in love with Sue Ellen since I was 10 years old!!!! Damn I hope it gets a 4th season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love love love dallas!!! I have actually watched this mid season premiere 3 times!!! So excited to see what the remainder of this season brings 😁
Certainly I’m hoping it will be renewed, though at this point I’m not sure what they can do creatively to boost viewership significantly. Best case scenario, I think, is the ratings hold where they are now and TNT deems that satisfactory. I only know I will have my DVR ready to go each week…I work the graveyard shift so watching in real time isn’t an option.
Not to light the fuse on an old, tired debate, but I think not bringing back the original Pam was a major missed opportunity, even if it meant recasting the character. I understand all the problems that come with that, but I believe the pros would have ultimately trumped the cons. It would have made for one of the most fascinating storylines in nighttime soaps history…and if THAT failed to do anything for the ratings, then the show would almost surely be a lost cause.
It was great on Monday, one of the best episodes. I am not surprised by the rating. Less people are watching in the summer and Monday has always been a bad night for the show. I am hoping for a fourth season renewal and a new night next season. I have been disappointed with the lack of TNT promotion. This time they didn’t do a marathon leading up to the new episode.
I respectfully disagree on bringing back Pam. People weren’t going to accept anyone but Victoria Principal who is not interested. It would be as big of a disaster as if they tried to recast J.R.
My only complaint is the lack of continuity between the original and the new series and I still think you need to do something surprising like the appearance of Katherine Wentworth showing up.
I think that TNT does in injustice to Dallas, the do not promote as they should, 20 somethings are not going to watch TV and Monday nights is an awful time to have the show on, I am hoping it gets a 4th season, if not maybe A&E will pick it up
Did this include DVR settings? I am on the edge of my seat in high hopes that Dallas will return for a fourth season. I am not surprised by the ratings though when we last saw Dallas with the threesome scene that really upset viewers and their opinion of Dallas. I understand Cidre was wanting to shock everybody but surely there was a better way than to have a drug overdose, I would have thought it to be cool watching Pamela going to confront her father in a shocking twist at the end of that scene instead of that nonsense. I really do respect Cynthia trying to keep this show alive but she needs to AX the Mexican cartel crap no offense and get back to the roots of the show that will bring more fans back, it really is not that hard to do, lets keep the viewers alive so we can get a fourth season.
I’m bummed that I don’t count in ratings, as I’m one of the people who only watches it through a purchased subscription in the iTunes store.
THIS NEW “dallas is great, And I am one of the old loyal fans, their mistake, is who they target, 18-49- do not spend the $$$$$ we do ) + and they had better keep DALLAS on, this is not the 8o’s anymore, lot’s of people have to DVR… BECAUSE OF WORK, ETC, THIS CAST IS GREAT, AND IF THEY HAVE ANY BRAINS, THEY WILL RENEW…, OR ANOTHER STATION, SHOULD PICK UP THE SERIES, IF REALITY SHOWS CAN MAKE IT, LORD KNOWS, DALLAS CAN !
The rating are not good for renewal, these Demo rating are what most networks go by. I suggest anyone and everyone that wants a 4th season to show your support by writing to TNT’s head of programming and state that your a loyal fan and want a 4th season. This is being done by numerous fans from facebook. Email: Michael.Wright@turner.com
YES I watched it LIVE at 9 pm Eastern AND again at 12! I love it and hope TNT keeps it on!
How do they determine those numbers? My home is not a “Nielsen family.” And I’m over 49 – and was a loyal fan of the original!
The original was the best and now the Next Generation is the best. It’s fast paced and very exciting. It takes you away from your average everyday living. Truly makes you forget your own problems. What I don’t understand is why do they keep it on Monday nights? ANY show that comes up against Monday Night Football or shows like the Emmy’s is not going to have a good turnout. Bring it back to Wednesday’s where it first started! There is no show like Dallas and there never will be.
what about all us viewers overseas who LOVE Dallas? and the box set buyers ?
Write to TNT and ask them to renew for a 4th season…most all fans are not part of the Nielsen’s. Michael.Wright@turner.com
I disagree about Pam being recast. I kinda thought the same originally, but you simply can’t recast any of the DALLAS main cast, they’re simply attached to the actors/actresses that play(ed) them. We kind of learned this with Ms. Ellie. Besides, I don’t blame Cidre for Pam, if anything I give her credit. Victoria Principal did not in any way want to come back, she made that very clear, can’t blame Cidre for that, and honestly, Cidre did what the original producers did not do, bring closure to the character. I cannot stand that this show airs on Mondays. Monday night Football, WWE, the voice, it’s a Damn joke and TNT in my opinion has dropped the ball on this show in many ways. I do feel it will get another year because TNT will want to bring such a huge iconic show to a solid conclusion, and I think season 4 would be the last. I was hoping it would at least get 5.
i saw on the chat at ultimatedallas that Victoria Principal got an offer she couldn’t refuse and will return.
It is my favorite show! I pray that it gets a much-deserved 4th season!
This show is amazing. Cast, writing, blending the history of the show with the present. I hope it goes on for many more seasons. I was a fan of the original and was skeptical that the magic of what made Dallas special could be captured in a reboot. Well, it’s exceeded what I had hoped. TNT now needs to really get on board and promote the show the way it deserves. Also, not having such long hiatuses for the show between seasons is a factor. I hope when the second half of this season’s episodes, we don’t have to wait a whole year for a new season as has been the case previously.
I agree with hardrock that they need to do SOMETHING with Katherine Wentworth. At the very VERY least, explain the when, where, and how of her demise. Anything less is pure laziness/apathy on Cynthia’s part. I did notice during a rerun marathon of Season 2 several months back that they removed Bobby’s line about her being dead. It makes me wonder if Cynthia simply didn’t know she had her facts wrong the first time around and did a quick editing fix after some fan backlash. But I know other pieces of various episodes have been edited too, so I don’t want to read too much into that. And there would be the matter of explaining how Cliff ended up with her prized earrings if she were alive.
Anyone else a little disappointed last night’s episode contained no mention of the previous Southfork fire some 30 years ago? This one seemed considerably more severe, though. Maybe the real reason they decided to set the house ablaze again is to get rid of that awful, unimaginative interior most of us dislike…paving the way for a restoration to the traditional interior from the original series, lol.
All fans here, you need to write to TNT and tell them you a fan and want a 4th season, it is important they hear from us fans that are not counted in the Nielsen ratings. Email: Michael.Wright@turner.com
This sounds rather positive C.B.! Thx 4 the numbers update & pray hard 4 Year IV, even if U & Andy have to hand out bribes, I mean Jock, J.R. & John Ross, yes even Brother Bobby grease the wheels.
Still these numbers appear to bear out my theory that whoever tuned in specifically for the threesome stunt did not return…
As I recall the overnight rating for that stunt was 2.1 million and here we dropped to just shy of 2.0. Like I said at the time, stunts rarely gain dedicated viewers. Only good story telling will do that.